University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Men's Cross Country

Illinois director of track, field and cross country Petros Kyprianou announced the hiring of Eric Johannigmeier (pronounced JOE-han-ig-my-er) as the new head cross

Dillon Yearby was hired as the track, field and cross country team’s director of operations on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. Yearby comes to Illinois after spending

Two-time NCAA Championship coach Petros Kyprianou (pronounced KEEP-ree-on-oo) was hired on July 26, 2022 as the new director of the Fighting Illini track and field and cross country programs. In his third season (2024-25), he led the women's team to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, their highest finish in 29 years. He has guided the program to multiple All-American honors and conference championships, including the women's first Big Ten Indoor Championships title in 11 years during his sophomore campaign. From 2015-2021, Kyprianou served as head coach at the University of Georgia, where he led the Bulldogs to unprecedented success including two NCAA titles, three runner-up performances, and 16 top-ten NCAA finishes. He was a three-time USTFCCCA National Coach of the Year and coached athletes to 28 NCAA titles during his 13-year Georgia tenure. Kyprianou has coached for four countries in international competition, including three different Olympics. A native of Cyprus, he competed in the decathlon, pole vault, hurdles, and long jump in Greece, winning several national championships. He graduated from Aristotle University in Greece and later earned a master's degree from UNO.